'All Countries Need To Tell Moscow Enough': Blinken Calls On Russia To Stop 'Grain Blackmail'

Washington D.C./04.08.23/Turan:  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday challenged all countries to tell Russia to stop using the Black Sea and Ukraine’s grain as 'blackmail' and stop treating the world’s hungry and vulnerable people as leverage in its unconscionable war, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

“... Every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow: enough,” Blinken said in remarks at the UN Security Council meeting on famine and conflict-driven food insecurity. “Enough using the Black Sea as blackmail. Enough treating the world’s most vulnerable people as leverage. Enough of this unjustified, unconscionable war,” he added.

America’s top diplomat lashed out at Moscow for ignoring the world’s appeals and pulling out of the year-old deal that allowed Ukraine to ship more than 32 tons of grain from Black Sea ports to needy countries.

“And what has Russia’s response been to the world’s distress and outrage? Bombing Ukrainian granaries, mining port entrances, threatening to attack any vessel in the Black Sea,” he said.

Alex Raufoglu